OVERVIEW

The heart and soul of a bike is the frame. And when chosing a road frame one should consider the 3 F's:

Frame Material

Function (or type) and

Fit

I think this is roughly the order you should make your decisions. First determine what kind of frame material you want. Second, determine the style of bike you want. Then, make sure you get a good fit.

As for me, I ride lugged steel. Lugged steel frames are beautiful and
they make me happy. They last an incredibly long time. My frames are
all 30 years old and going as strong as when they were new. But this
should mean nothing to you. You need to find out what makes you
happiest.

There are several other design features that have a big impact on how well a bike frame is suited to your intended purposes. Some frames will not accept moderate width tires, much less wider tires, thus limiting their use. Frames are generally built to accept a certain style or size of brake. And different uses require fenders or racks, both of which need special fittings. I go into more detail on these features on my Bike Frame Design Web Page.

I will state one bit of opinion here - Don't buy a bike unless you can get the bars level with the saddle. Bikes that force your handlebars low force you into a low bar racing position, which in my opinion, doesn't work for most riders. I go into more detail on these fitting issues on my Frame Fitting Web Page.